History

 

Although the College of Education and Human Development is new, its disciplines have a long history at the University of North Dakota.

The University of North Dakota has offered teacher education programs since its founding in 1883. The preparation of teachers at UND was coordinated by the Normal Department from 1883 to 1900; by the Normal College from 1900 to 1905; by Teachers College from 1905 to 1911; by the School of Education from 1911 to 1953; and by the College of Education until 1972, when programs of that college merged with the New School of Behavioral Studies to form the Center for Teaching and Learning.

In 1996 the Center for Teaching and Learning absorbed programs from the defunct College of Human Resource Development, to create the College of Education and Human Development. We have six departments currently, including: Teaching and Learning, Educational Leadership, Educational Foundations and Research, Physical Education, Exercise Science and Wellness, Counseling Psychology and Community Services, and Social Work.

The present faculty continue the UND traditions of leadership to the schools, colleges, and communities of North Dakota and the Upper Midwest; of promoting a broader view of education, wellness and mental health services; and of providing teachers, administrators, and other educational personnel with intensive, intellectually challenging, integrated programs of study.

Physical activity has been important to students since the early days of UND, whose history shows interesting differences in the development of programs for men and women. The Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation was formed in 1963 from a merger of the women's department of Physical education, founded in 1893, and men's department, established in 1906. In addition to developing the physical potential of all participating UND students, programs of the department prepare professional leaders for health, physical education, and recreation in many settings.

Although courses in Counseling were offered by UND faculty as early as 1924, development of a formal program was spurred in the 1950s by the National Defense Education Act, which sponsored preparation of school guidance Counselors. With leadership from the Department of Psychology and the College of Education, the Department of Counseling was established in 1963. As part of the College for Human Resources Development, the Department broadened and deepened its programs, which focus on counseling in a wide variety of settings.

The first social work courses were offered at UND by Dr. John Gillette, a member of the Department of Sociology. A social work program was started in 1911. By 1967, when the Department of Social Work was founded, UND students and faculty had invested much effort and creativity in the promotion of social welfare. In 1972, the department moved from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College for Human Resources Development, where it has developed programs to prepare and support professionals, which focus on practice in rural communities. *As of July 1, 2012, the Department of Social Work will be joining the UND College of Nursing.